New Beginnings: Orphaned at Sea
by JamieLee24
Summary: 1st in a series. When Lucas' parents are killed in a plane crash, Bridger and the crew must help him through it. In so doing, they learn some things about their resident boy genius. Warning: spanking.


**SeaQuest DSV**

'**New Beginnings'**

"**Orphaned at Sea"**

**Summary****: **_**When Lucas' parents are killed, Bridger tried to help the boy through the ordeal…and makes some surprising discoveries while he's at it.**_

**Author's Note:** _**1**__**st**__** in a series. Takes place after episode "Brothers and Sisters".**_

**Warning:**_**This story and those that follow it WILL contain spanking of a teenager.**_

_Disclaimer: __**I don't own these characters. I just wrote this story for fun.**_

_SeaQuest DSV, somewhere off the North American coastline…_

"Ah c'mon!"

"Lucas," Captain Nathan Bridger said, "you're grounded, remember?"

"I didn't think you were really serious about that," Lucas whined, slapping his hand down on the table in frustration.

"Well, I was," Bridger told him, "and I am. Until I tell you otherwise, Mr. Wolenczak, you are to remain in your quarters."

"That's not fair," the teenager growled, almost petulantly, "I didn't do anything…really."

Bridger raised an eyebrow at him. "Didn't do anything?" he scoffed, snorting.

"Lucas, you misled—no, tricked!—an officer aboard this vessel and took—no, stole!—a mini-sub without permission to put yourself and an innocent young girl in harm's way! You call that nothing!?"

Lucas sighed. "I was just trying to help," he grumbled. "Isn't that what _SeaQuest_ is all about?"

"Yes, it is," Bridger told him, "but it was the way you went about helping I didn't like—hence, why you're grounded."

Lucas growled in frustration. "But I want to go for a swim with Darwin!"

This time, he pounded both fists down hard onto the table, causing several of the captain's things to topple over.

Bridger sighed, shaking his head.

This was beginning to boarder a first class temper tantrum any five year old would be proud of.

"That's enough, Mr. Wolenczak," he ordered, sternly. "This discussion is over."

Lucas opened his mouth to protest this, but he held up a hand to forestall him.

"If you utter one more word, the one week in your room will turn into two. Is that understood?"

Seeing the hardened expression on his face, the teenager decided [wisely] not to protest.

"Yes, sir," he ground out through clenched teeth.

Bridger nodded. "Good," he said. "Back to your room, Mr. Wolenczak."

He nodded his head toward the door.

Lucas glared at him for about a second and then stormed over to the door.

"Lucas?" Bridger called out to him.

Lucas looked back over his shoulder. "Yes?"

"Don't even think about slamming the door," the captain warned, firmly.

Lucas' shoulders sagged. "Yes, sir," he muttered, and then exited the room quietly.

Bridger chuckled, putting his spectacles back on.

_Teenagers!_

Of course, Bridger had already dealt with one teenager in his life, his son, and he was thankful for that experience now—though he certainly didn't appreciate it at the time—because it helped him read the sixteen year old computer genius like a book.

He knew that Lucas hated being constantly surrounded by adults that told him what to do, which is why Darwin was so important to him.

The dolphin that he [Bridger] had saved and trained, before he'd been duped into returning to the _SeaQuest_ has her captain, Lucas had quickly made friends with and even created a device that allowed them to know what the aquatic animal's chirps and whistles really meant.

It was also clear that Lucas had lacked parental support in his young life, which was why he tended to act rashly and without thought at times.

From what he'd heard of the older Wolenczaks, they did not sound like people who should have been parents in the first place…

So, he tried his best to be a sort of surrogate father to the boy.

Oddly enough, having Lucas around helped ease the grief and guilt he [Bridger] still carried over his own son's death.

"Captain," the voice of Commander Jonathon Ford, his second in command, spoke in his PAL.

Bridger reached for the hand-held communications device and clicked it on. "Yes, Commander, what is it?"

"Admiral Noyce is on the line for you," the Commander replied.

"Send it down here," the captain instructed, "and thanks, Commander."

He clicked off the PAL and turned on is video-phone.

The image of Admiral Bill Noyce, commander of the UEO and also an old friend of his, popped up on the screen—and he didn't look exactly cheerful at the moment.

"Hello, Bill," he greeted him, smiling. "Why the long face?"

"Uh, I have some news, Nathan," Norse said, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "It concerns Lucas."

"Oh?" Bridger asked, raising an eyebrow. "What is it, Bill?"

"It's his parents, Nathan," Norse said, sadly. "They're dead."

_..._

_SeaQuest DSV, the next day…_

"They were apparently on their way to some sort of conference. Their plan was struck by lightening and went down."

Bridger, his senior crew, and Dr. Kristen Westphalen—the _SeaQuest's_ chief physician and head of the science department—were in the Ward Room discussing the situation at hand.

"Sir?" Lt. Commander Katherine Hitchcock, _SeaQuest's_ chief engineer, asked.

"Didn't Lucas tell us his parents, um, _disliked_ each other?"

"I believe the phrase he used," Lt. Ben Krieg, the boat's supply and morale officer, said with a smirk, "was 'they wished each other would go straight to Hell'."

"So, why were they flying together?" Lt. Tim O'Neill, the boat's linguistics/sound expert, asked.

Bridger shrugged. "A coincidence, apparently," he told them. "They both happened to be travelling on the same plane."

"Have you told him yet, Sir?" Commander Ford asked him, curiously.

Bridger shook his head. "No," he said, "not yet. He's still sulking in his room."

"Bright side," Ben spoke up, grinning, "at least this will take his mind off of being grounded…"

They all gave him a scathing look. "…sorry." He wisely closed his mouth then.

Bridger rolled his eyes and then glanced at Kristen.

"What do you think?" he asked, curiously. "How do you think I should handle this?"

Even as _he_ was the teenager's surrogate father on board, there was no doubt that the matronly, strong-willed doctor was his surrogate mother.

"He has to be told, there's not doubt about that," the ever practical doctor concluded, "but I just don't know, Nathan."

"Lucas already has so many 'issues' concerning his parents, I just don't know how he's going to react."

"But what happens afterwards, Sir?" Chief Petty Officer Miguel Ortiz, the boat's sonar expert, asked curiously.

"Afterwards, Mr. Ortiz?" Bridger asked, uncertain what the younger man meant.

"Will Lucas be allowed to stay on _SeaQuest_?" Miguel clarified. "Or will they put him in…uh…foster care or something?"

Bridger sighed. Truthfully, he hadn't thought beyond the point of telling the boy.

"Can't he just apply for emancipation?" Katie inquired. "I mean, he _is_ sixteen."

"I would strongly _not_ recommend that," Kristen said, firmly.

"Despite his obvious brilliance, Lucas is still not as mature as he lets people believe—he isn't ready for that kind of responsibility yet. He still needs someone to guide and correct him."

They all looked to him, for his opinion on the subject.

"I guess," he answered, truthfully, "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

They all nodded, falling silent—each lost in his or her own thoughts once more.

Bridger sighed, again.

"I guess," he said, breaking the silence, "it's time."

He stood up and they all nodded, offering their support silently.

He nodded back, and then turned to exit the Ward Room.

Heading to the crew's quarters, he got to Lucas' door and knocked.

"Lucas, it's the Captain. We, uh, need to talk."

_..._

_SeaQuest, Lucas Wolenczak's quarters, same day…_

Lucas just sat there, afterwards.

He just sat on his floor, staring at the aqua tube where Darwin floated.

Bridger frowned. "Lucas?" he asked, gently.

He reached out to give the boy's shoulder a squeeze. "I'm so sorry."

Lucas blinked, glancing at him for the first time since he'd entered and told him the sad news.

"What for, Captain?" he asked, snorting.

"It's not like they ever cared about me or anything—so why should I care what happened to them?"

He then casually turned back to the three computer screens he had been looking at when he'd come in.

"Lucas," Bridger said, gently yet firmly, "you just can't ignore this…"

"I'm not, Captain," Lucas said, calmly. "I know I'm going to have to go to their funerals and everything…"

"There's a lot more to it than that," the captain stated, worriedly.

Lucas sighed. "No offense, Captain," he told him, "but I'd really just like to be alone right now."

Bridger felt torn inside.

On one hand, he wanted to respect the boy's right to privacy but on the other…

He knew leaving him alone wasn't the best idea right now.

"Are you sure, Lucas?" he asked, gently. "If you want to talk…"

"I don't," Lucas replied, quickly. "I just want to be alone, please."

Bridger sighed. "All right," he said, quietly, "I'll go, but if you need anything…"

"I'll let you know," the boy said, "and thanks—for, you know, telling me and all."

"We're here for you," the captain told him. "You know that, right?"

The boy nodded. "I know," he said, quietly.

Bridger patted him on the shoulder. "Good," he said, standing up. He turned to head for the door.

"Captain," Lucas called after him, quickly. He turned back around.

"Yes, Lucas?" he asked him, gently.

"Will you come with me?" the boy asked, his eyes wide. "To the funeral, I mean…"

Bridger smiled in relief. "Of course I will," he told him, smiling. "Did you really think I'd let you go alone?"

For the first time, in what seemed forever, Lucas actually smiled at him. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Bridger said. "I'll go see about making the arrangements."

Lucas nodded, and he opened the door to exit it.

Once on the other side, he heaved a huge sigh of relief…but he was still worried about the boy's reaction.

He then turned and headed for bridge.

He had decided he wasn't going to be the only one accompanying Lucas to his parents' funeral.

The boy needed his family right now…and they were going to be there for him.

All of them.

_..._

_Wolenczak Villa, South of Italy, two days later…_

The limousine pulled through the wide gates that led to Dr. Wolenczak's rather large villa.

"Wow," Ben exclaimed, whistling. "Now this is what I call a house!"

The others all nodded, all amazed at the sheer size of the structure.

"Please," Lucas snorted, "it's nothing special, trust me. You guys didn't have to come, you know."

"Of course we did," Kristen told him, giving his hand a squeeze, "and we wanted to."

She sat on one side of the teenager, while Bridger sat on his other side.

Ben and Katie sat to either side of them, while Miguel and Tim sat on the opposite seat.

Commander Ford and Security Chief Crocker had remained aboard _SeaQuest_ to ensure everything ran smoothly; despite the fact that they were more or less docked for the next few days.

The car stopped and the driver got out and opened the door for them.

"Ladies first," Bridger said, indicating Katie and Kristen should exit first.

They did so, followed by Lucas and himself. Ben, Miguel, and Time were the last to 'disembark'.

"You three," the captain said to them, "help the driver with the bags."

"Aye, Sir," the three young men said as one, and went to do as they were told.

"C'mon," Lucas said, shrugging on his backpack and heading up the steps to the front door.

The door opened to reveal a man dressed in butler attire. "Welcome back, young master," he greeted Lucas.

"Hey, Eddie," Lucas said, going past him and into the villa. "These are my friends."

They all nodded at the man.

"I am Edward," he told the, "chief butler for Dr. Wolenczak."

"Captain Nathan Bridger," Bridger said, shaking his hand, " and this is Dr. Kristen Westphalen, Lt. C.M.R. Katherine Hitchcock, Lt. Ben Krieg, Lt. j.g. Tim O'Neill, and P.O. Miguel Ortiz."

"It is a pleasure to meet all of you," Edward said, inclining his head, "and should you require anything during your stay please do not hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," Bridger said, glancing around the room.

They were obviously in an entryway with the stairs leading upstairs directly in the center of the room.

To the right, looked like a den and to the left the living room.

Hallways on either side of the staircase led off to other parts of the house…probably the kitchen and laundry room; possibly Dr. Wolenczak's study.

"Eddie will show you guys where you'll be sleeping," Lucas told them, and then started up the stairs.

"Hey," Bridger said, "where are you going?"

"To my room," Lucas replied. "Eddie will bring my bag up." With that, he turned and raced up the stairs.

Bridger frowned.

The boy's seemingly indifferent attitude to what was happening in his life worried him to no end.

Kristen placed a hand on his arm. "I'm worried, too," she whispered to him.

He grinned at her appreciatively.

"If you all will follow me upstairs," Edward said, "I will show you to your rooms so that you may rest and freshen up. Will you be requiring lunch?"

"No, thank you," Bridger told him, "though we will probably be eating dinner here."

The butler nodded. "Very well, sir," he said. "If you will follow me, please."

He too turned and headed up the stairs.

Bridger turned to his crew.

"All right," he told them, "let's get settled and then cleaned up. The funeral is this afternoon."

"Aye, aye, Sir," Katie said, nodding.

"And you three," Bridger said, glancing at Ben, Tim, and Miguel, "Larry, Mo, and Curly—don't touch anything!"

"Who, us?" Ben said, smirking. "Do you have so little faith in us, Captain?"

"Uh huh," Bridger said, raising an eyebrow. "I mean it, lieutenant. Now, c'mon."

Grabbing his suitcase and Lucas', he headed up the stairs. The others promptly followed.

Once shown to his room, he sat the suitcases down and stepped out onto the balcony.

The view was quite breathtaking.

Suddenly, the sound of [very loud] rock and roll music was suddenly heard, shaking the right wall in his room.

Obviously, Lucas' bedroom was right next to his.

He sighed.

He hoped…no, he _prayed_… that he would be able to help the boy through this.

Before, he lost another son he loved dearly…

_..._

_Wolenczak Villa, later that afternoon…_

"Lucas?" Bridger knocked on the boy's door gently. "It's time to go…"

He and the others were dressed and ready, the limo was waiting out front to take them to the funeral, so all they needed was the main reason they were all here…

Not getting a response, he opened the door and quietly entered.

He found Lucas in front of his mirror, wrestling with his tie.

The boy was wearing a three piece black suit that looked quite expensive; in fact, it looked brand new.

He had never seen Lucas wear anything except blue jeans and t-shirts, so more than likely that suit had never been worn until now.

"Need some help?" he asked, gently.

Lucas turned around, a frustrated look on his face. "I hate ties," he grumbled, sourly.

Bridger chuckled, crossing over to him and taking the tie from him.

"Here, let me show you," he said, and began demonstrating how to connect the two ends together.

"Thanks," Lucas said, once he was finished, and turned back to the mirror. "I hate suits, too."

"I'm not overly fond of them myself," he told him, tugging at the collar of his own black suit.

He had considered wearing his uniform, but—like the others—had decided to keep the military out of this particular situation.

Lucas smiled. "Guess I'm ready then," he said, sighing. "Do I really have to go?"

Bridger reached up and gave the back of his neck a squeeze. "Yes, you really have to go," he told him, gently.

The boy nodded. "Then let's go," he said. "The sooner this is over, the sooner I get out of this thing."

He headed for the door and the captain followed him, a worried expression on his face the entire time.

The funeral was a grave-side service, with very few in attendance, and the _SeaQuest_ crew sat directly up front.

Lucas, of course, sat in the middle with Bridger and Kristen on either side of him.

Katie and Ben sat beside the captain, while Tim and Miguel sat beside the doctor.

All wore solemn expressions throughout the service, except for Lucas.

The boy didn't shed a tear, barely even blinked an eye, the entire time.

He sat, unmoving, simply staring at his parents' caskets.

It was almost as if he were an automaton or something.

Over his head, Bridger and Kristen exchanged worried glances.

Bridger draped an arm over the boy's shoulders, while the doctor gave his clasped hands a squeeze.

He continued to just stare.

When the service was over and the caskets had been lowered into the ground, they all got up to leave.

"Are you ready to head home?" Bridger asked the boy, curiously.

Lucas shrugged off his hand. "It's not my home," he stated, unemotionally. "It never was."

He then turned and walked off, back toward the waiting limo.

Now, they _all_ exchanged worried glances but quickly followed after him.

_..._

_Wolenczak Villa, later that evening…_

"He just sat there," Bridger sighed, frustrated. "As if he was at the funeral of perfect strangers rather than his own parents!"

He and Kristen were in Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak's study looking through important papers to see what was what.

"I know," Kristen said, leafing through some file folders, "and I'm definitely worried, Nathan. This isn't healthy behavior he's displaying…"

"I know, I know," Bridger said, removing his reading glasses and rubbing his eyes, "but I have no idea how to get him to open up. He locked tighter than a clam's behind."

Kristen chuckled. "I noticed," she said, grinning. "Not a word during dinner—not even when Ben made that horrible joke…"

"Tell me about it," Bridger said, chuckling. "Any other time, he'd have called him on it and told an even worse joke!"

They both laughed, but then grew solemn again. They were very worried about 'their' boy.

Kristen suddenly stopped leafing through files, her eyes scanning something intently.

"Nathan," she said, glancing up wide-eyed.

"What is it?" he asked, curiously.

"It's Lucas' birth certificate," she said, handing him an aged piece of paper.

"What about it?" he asked, glancing down at it and smiling. "Hey! His middle name is Nathaniel, what a coincidence!"

Kristen rolled her eyes at him. "Look at the year," she told him, exhasperated. He did so and his eyes went very wide, indeed.

"2004," he read, his mouth hanging open. "But that would mean he's only…"

"Fourteen years old," Kristen finished, nodding.

"I don't believe it," Bridger said, stunned. "How could we not have known about this?"

Kristen shook her head, clueless. "I don't know," she said, "I mean—"

Just then a knock sounded at the door. "Sir, Ma'am," Edward, the butler's voice, sounded from the other side.

"Come in, Edward," Bridger told him, still trying to understand what they had just learned.

They could immediately that something was wrong by the look on the butler's face.

"What is it, Edward?" Kristen asked, concerned.

"It is young master Lucas," the butler said, concerned. "He's gone."

"Gone!" they both exclaimed, as Bridger jumped to his feet and Kristen took an involuntary step forward.

"Yes," the butler said, nodding. "He has taken one of his father's vehicles…and I'm afraid that isn't the worst of it."

"What else?" Bridger asked, not sure he wanted to know.

"He also broke into his father's liquor cabinet," The butler replied, "and took a bottle of whiskey."

The implications were all too clear for them at that moment.

"Nathan!" Kristen exclaimed, but it was unnecessary as the captain was already springing into action.

"Kristen, you and Edward call the police," he ordered. "Give them a description of Lucas and of the car he took."

He headed into the entryway. "Krieg, Ortiz, O'Neill," he shouted up the stairs, "get down here on the double!"

"Sir?" The three men exclaimed, racing down the stairs in various stages of undress.

Katie followed them down, her hair wet and wearing a bathrobe.

"What is it, Sir?" she asked, concerned. "What's happened?"

"Lucas is what's happened," the captain exclaimed, anger and fear warring on his face.

"He's taken some whiskey and gone for a little joy ride in one of his father's cars!"

"Oh boy," Ben gulped. "And I thought I'd done some dumb stunts as a kid…"

"Not now, Mr. Krieg," Bridger growled, not in the mood for the man's flippant humor.

"I want you three to get keys from Edward, get your butts behind the wheels of some cars, and find him. The police are on the look out, too. Understand?"

"Aye, sir," the three said, and then raced back upstairs to get dressed again.

"Sir," Katie said, "permission to go, also."

"Sorry, Commander," he told her, 'but I'd like you to stay here with Kristen in case either Lucas comes back on his own or the police call."

"Understood, sir," she said, and then hesitated before asking, "Sir, what are you going to do?"

"I'm getting my butt behind the wheel of a car, too," he told her, determination in his voice, "and I'm going to find him."

He turned and headed for the kitchen.

He just hoped he found him in one piece…

_..._

_Italian highway, near the coast, twenty minutes later…_

He had been searching for twenty minutes when he found the car.

It had apparently skidded off the road and came to a halt, unable to back out of the sand it had come to a halt on.

Quickly getting out, he searched for any sign of Lucas but found none inside the car.

There were, however, foot prints leading down to the beach.

Bridger followed them, reporting back via his PAL that he'd found the car and was in pursuit of Lucas.

He found him sitting on the beach. Relief flooded all over him at the sight.

Unfortunately, half the bottle of whiskey was already gone and it looked like he was preparing to take another swig.

Anger replaced relief rather rapidly.

He snatched the whiskey bottle from the boy's hands and threw it into the surf.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Bridger yelled at the kid.

"Uh, I think I'm sittin' on a beach," Lucas said, smirking drunkenly at him. "What are you doin'?"

"I'm chasing after a boy who's in a lot of trouble," he told him, sternly.

"Really?" Lucas said, hiccupping. "Anybody I know?"

Bridger fought to hold onto his temper and patience, but both were at their breaking point.

"Cut the bull crap, Lucas," he growled, grabbing the boy by the collar, "and let's go."

"Go where?" Lucas asked.

"Home," Bridger told him, beginning to pull him back toward the car.

"I told you," Lucas said, trying to jerk free, "that isn't my home—it never was!"

"Lucas," The captain said, sighing.

"No," Lucas said, managing to jerk free but stumbled and fell onto his behind in the sand. "I'm not goin' back there!"

"Oh yes, you are," Bridger told him, firmly, "and you're going back right now."

He reached down to help the boy up, only to have him jerk away and scoot beyond his reach.

"You can't make me," he growled, continuing to scoot.

"Wanna bet?" Bridger growled, lunging and grabbing the boy.

In one swift move, he'd picked him up and tossed him over his shoulder to start carrying him back to the car.

"C-Captain!" Lucas exclaimed, bile rising in his throat. "I'm gonna be sick!"

Bridger had figured as much and quickly put the boy on his own two feet again, where he proceeded to up chuck his guts out.

This went on for several minutes until Lucas had emptied everything from his stomach.

"Feel better?" Bridger asked, handing him a handkerchief to wipe his mouth on.

"Not really," Lucas replied, wiping his mouth.

The captain sighed. "C'mon, Lucas," he pleaded, "talk to me!"

Lucas' eyes hardened. "There's nothin' to talk about," he growled. "I'm fine."

"The hell you are!" Bridger growled, angrily. "Do you have any idea what could have happened!?"

No response, just a blank stare from the kid.

"You could have killed yourself!" he finally yelled, at his wit's end.

"So what?" Lucas challenged, petulantly. "It isn't like no one cares what happens to me."

"There's no one that—" Bridger gasped. "Lucas Nathaniel Wolenczak, how can you say such a thing?!"

"Because it's true," the boy growled, angrily.

Bridger felt like giving the boy a good shake right about then…or a perhaps a spanking.

"Lucas_, Kristen_ cares what happens to you, _Krieg_ cares what happens to you, _Darwin_ cares what happens to you! Ford, Katie Crocker, Tim, Miguel, and the list goes on and on!"

"But most of all, Lucas," he told him, tears welling in his own eyes, "_I _care what happens to you!"

Lucas looked away, not wanting to look him in the eye.

"You're just saying that," he said. "I know I just get in the way of things on _SeaQuest…"_

"Now wait just a damn minute," Bridger stopped him. "You do _not_ just get in the way, Lucas, you are a vital part of my crew…"

"I'm a kid, Captain," Lucas stated, sneering.

"That's right, you _are_ a kid," he agreed with him, "but you're a kid that built a computer that allows a dolphin to talk…"

Lucas shrugged. "Anybody could do it," he stated. "Hell, even _Ben_ could do it if he really tried!"

Bridger really couldn't believe what he was hearing.

The boy had so little faith in himself…but there was more going on here then he was letting on.

"You know what, Lucas," he told him, crossing his arms, "the more I hear the more certain I become about something…"

"What's that?" the boy asked, rolling his eyes. "That I need to be in reform school?"

"No," Bridger said, seriously. "That you're in need of a good old-fashioned spanking."

Lucas snorted. "Yeah, right," he said, scoffing. "_They_ didn't care enough about me to even do that."

Bridger narrowed his eyes, his course laid in.

"Well then, Mr. Wolenczak," he stated, "let me show you just how much _I_ really care about you."

Lucas' eyes widened at the implication, but before he could do anything he found himself in the man's strong grip being led back to the cars.

"C-Captain," he stammered, trying to dig his heels in, "w-what are you doing?"

"I told you, Lucas," Bridger said, sitting down on the hood of the car. "I'm going to show you just how much I care about you."

He then promptly pulled the boy over his lap and propped one knee up so that the boy's jean clad rear end was sticking up in the air.

"Uh, Captain," Lucas said, attempting to squirm free, "c-can't we talk about t-this?"

"What's there to talk about, Lucas?" Bridger said, raising his hand back. "I'm about to give you a spanking. Was there soemthing you didn't understand?"

He then brought his hand down, hard.

Lucas yelped at that first stinging smack, and attempted to squirm harder.

The captain ignored his squirming and proceeded to rain down smack after smack onto his backside.

"C-Captain, p-please," Lucas said, as the heat and pain in his rear began to really register.

"I'm a little busy right now, Lucas," Bridger stated. "I'll be with you in a minute, once I'm finished."

He continued to spank him.

Lucas bit his lip, feeling the tears he'd been holding inside for so long begin to leak out.

"P-Please, S-Sir," he stammered, his voice catching, "I'm sorry!"

"Sorry for what, Lucas?" Bridger asked, not stopping even for a moment.

"Sorry for risking your life by drinking—when you're underage—and driving—also when you're underage—and scaring everybody out of half of their lives?!"

"Sorry for believing that no one on this entire planet cares about you, when _many_ people actually do?"

"Or are you just sorry in general for all the suffering in the world?"

"I'm not as quick in the head as I used to be, son, so you'll have to be specific? Which are you sorry for?!"

Lucas couldn't really answer, as he could no longer form a rational thought, because of the intense heat radiating from what had once been his butt.

"I'm…I'm…" he gasped out, "I'M JUST SORRY, OKAY!"

That was when the dam burst and the tears started falling.

Bridger stopped spanking then, knowing he'd finally broken through the boy's defenses.

Sitting him up, he pulled him against his chest and allowed him to sob his broken heart out.

"Shh, shh," he comforted, "I know, I know…"

Lucas shook his head. "N-No, y-you don't know," he stammered, tears and snot falling in equal measures now. "Y-You don't understand!"

"What don't I understand?" Bridger asked, keeping a firm grip on his shoulders. "Please, Lucas, tell me!"

"T-They're dead…" Lucas said, wiping at his running nose with one hand and rubbing his aching behind with the other, "…a-and I-I d-don't f-feel a-anything!"

Bridger blinked. "You don't feel anything?" he asked, quietly.

Lucas shook his head.

"M-My parents are dead and I don't feel a thing about it," he said, "except that I'm pissed they never once cared about me and I f-f-feel relief almost!"

"Oh, Lucas," the captain said, "why couldn't you just say something?"

It broke his heart that the boy had been feeling this way and couldn't confide in him.

"I-I thought y-you'd think I was a selfish bastard," Lucas told him. "T-That I was just an ungrateful brat!"

"A brat, maybe," Bridger said, teasing, "but never ungrateful and definitely _not_ a 'selfish bastard'. C'mere, son."

He pulled him into another crushing hug.

Lucas hugged him back, but then pulled away and stared at him.

"That's the second time you called me that," he said, quietly.

"What?" Bridger asked, curious.

"Son," Lucas said, wiping the last of his tears. "B-But I'm not. I'm no one's son now—in some ways, I never was."

"Lucas," Bridger said, sighing. That was when an idea popped into his head. "You could be," he stated, smiling.

Lucas blinked in confusion. "Could be what?" he asked, puzzled.

"Someone's son," Bridger told him, smiling.

"Who'd want to adopt a sixteen year old kid?" Lucas asked, smirking.

"I would," Bridger told him, firmly, "and let's try fourteen, shall we?"

Lucas blinked at him. "H-How do you know that?" he asked, wide-eyed.

"Kristen found your birth certificate," he explained, shrugging.

"Oh," the boy said, and then looked him in the eye. "Do you mean that?"

"About adopting you?" Bridger asked. "Yes, I do—if you'll have me, that is."

"Are you kidding?" Lucas said, smiling. "You've been more like a dad to me than _he_ ever was!"

Bridger laughed, relieved that the boy still had his sense of humor.

"Then, I guess it looks like I'm going to have to add a room to my house on my island," he stated, smiling.

They hugged a third time, both feeling better than they had in days.

"I really am sorry," Lucas mumbled, quietly, "you know—for that."

He nodded toward the other car, the one he'd taken.

Bridger sighed. "I understand why you did it," he said, but then took his chin firmly.

"But I just want to make one thing perfectly clear to you here and now, young man…"

Lucas swallowed. "W-What's that, sir?" he asked, hesitantly.

"If you ever—and I mean _ever_—do something this stupid again," he warned him, sternly, "I'll make the spanking you just got seem like a little tap in comparison to the one you'll get then."

"Do you understand me?"

Lucas gulped. "Yes, sir, I read you loud and clear."

He reached back to rub his still aching behind when he said this, causing the captain to smile.

"All right then, son," Bridger said, smiling. "Ready to go face Kristen?"

"Uh," Lucas said, biting his lip, "do I have to?"

Bridger laughed, long and hard, as they made their way back to the villa.

_.._

_Wolenczak Villa, same night…_

The moment they entered the villa, they were descended upon by everyone.

Leading the pack was, of course, Kristen.

She pulled Lucas into a tight embrace, nearly squeezing the life out of him, and then held him at arm's length.

"You foolish, foolish child!" she scolded, giving him a small shake.

"How could you do such a thing! You could have been killed! I…I have half a mind to march upstairs, get my hairbrush, and paddle your behind!"

"Oh, please," Lucas begged, "anything but that! My butt can't take anymore!"

He reached back to rub his still sore posterior.

Kristen frowned, glancing at Bridger for an explanation.

"Uh, Lucas and I already had a little 'discussion' about tonight," he said, clearing his throat. "Of course, I didn't have a hairbrush…"

"But he got his point across," the boy assured them, "loud and clear, trust me."

"Ouch," Ben whistled, smiling.

"Tell me about it," Lucas said, smirking. "Guess you're gonna have to watch your step from now on, huh Ben?"

Ben laughed at that.

"Kid," he said, pulling the boy into a headlock, "after the scare you gave us—I'd say you deserved it."

"Hey," Lucas complained. "You're supposed to be on my side!"

"I am," Ben told him, rubbing his hair, "and I'm glad you're safe, kiddo." He hugged him, tightly.

"We all are, Lucas," Katie said, kissing him on the cheek while Tim and Miguel patted him on the back.

The boy blushed all the way to his toes, causing them all to burst out laughing.

"There is still one thing I am curious about," Bridger said, draping an arm over Lucas' shoulders.

"What's that?" the boy asked, curiously.

"How it is no one, not even Noyce, knew that you're only fourteen years old?" he asked, giving him a pointed look.

"Fourteen!" his others, except for Kristen, exclaimed in surprise.

Lucas swallowed. "Well," he said, looking down at his sneakers, "I, uh, sorta lied…"

"Oh?" Bridger asked, raising an eyebrow. "About…"

"It wasn't Lawrence's idea for me to get on _SeaQuest_," the boy admitted. "It was mine."

"I sent the original email to the admiral that was supposed to be from my dad."

The captain nodded. "About discipline problems and all that…"

Lucas nodded. "I figured I needed a reason that they would be wanting to get rid of me—besides, the truth that they didn't just care—and also explained the idea for the vocorder."

"So," Bridger said, knowingly, "you changed your computer records so that they all said you were sixteen—knowing that you stood a better chance of being allowed on board if you were older."

Again, Lucas nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "Lawrence didn't know anything about it until the admiral called him and asked him to bring me to _SeaQuest_. He was so busy with his work that he didn't even question it."

Ben smirked. "Why, you little sneak," he said, reaching out to rub his head again. "I'd better watch out otherwise my title of all time prankster is gonna be gone!"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, I could out prank you in my sleep," he told him, smiling.

He then looked at the captain worriedly. "Are you going to tell the admiral?"

Bridger scratched his chin. "I think I have to, Lucas," he told him, quietly.

"But he'll make me leave _SeaQuest_!" The boy protested, loudly.

"No, he isn't," the captain assured him. "We still need you, Lucas, and once he learns I'm adopting you…"

"What!?" Everybody exclaimed, staring at him wide-eyed.

"The captain wants to be my dad," Lucas said, smiling. "Isn't that great!?"

"Are you sure?" Kristen asked, placing a hand on Bridger's shoulder.

Bridger smiled, glancing down at the smiling child looking up at him.

"I've never been more certain in my life," he said, wrapping an arm around his future son.

"Good," Kristen said, smiling at Lucas. "Because, well, if you weren't going to volunteer I was going to force you…"

"Force me?" Bridger asked, smirking. "How might I ask?"

"Oh," the good doctor said, smirking, "I have my ways…"

"Better watch out, Capt'n," Ben told him, smirking. He lifted his eyebrows suggestively.

Bridger rolled his eyes. "When I want to hear from the peanut gallery, Mr. Krieg," he said, "I'll let you know."

Lucas laughed, and they all smiled. It was too long since they'd heard his clear, infectious laughter.

"All right," Kristen declared, "now that everyone is safe and sound, I think it's time we headed up for bed. We have a launch to catch in the morning."

They all nodded, and trotted up the stairs to their room.

Before going to bed himself, though, Bridger stopped in to check on Lucas.

He found him out on the balcony. "Hey there, kiddo," he called out to him, "you're supposed to be in bed."

Lucas turned and smiled. Coming back in, he closed the balcony doors and jumped onto his bed.

"That's made for sleeping, not jumping," Bridger reminded him with mock-sternness.

Lucas rolled his eyes and got under the covers. "Yes, _Dad_," he said, sarcastically.

Bridger smiled. "Giving me lip already, huh?" he asked. "Well then, I guess I'm just going to have to…"

He started tickling him, mercilessly.

"All right, all right," Lucas pleaded, laughing, "stop or I'm gonna pee on myself!"

"Well, we wouldn't want you to die of embarrassment," the captain said, smiling, "so I guess I'll accept your surrender."

Lucas smiled, but then just looked at him. "Would you mind?" he asked, quietly.

"Would I mind what, son?" Bridger asked, glancing down as he pulled the covers up some more.

"If I called you 'Dad'?" Lucas asked. "You know, for real…"

Bridger smiled. "I'd like that," he told him. "I'd like that a lot."

"You know," Lucas said, "you don't have to do this…adopt me, I mean."

"I know I don't have to, kiddo," he told him, "but I want to. I love you."

Lucas blinked back tears. "I-I love you, too," he said, quietly, "Dad."

Bridger felt tears of his own and had to brush them out of his eyes so he could see.

He leaned down and kissed the top of Lucas' hair. "Thanks, son."

Under normal circumstances Lucas would have protested such an act of affection, being the cool teenager that he was, but thought this once he could let it slide.

"So," Bridger said, smiling, "ready to go home?"

Lucas smiled, knowing that 'home' now meant the _SeaQuest_.

"Yeah," he said, excitedly. "I can't wait to go swimming with Darwin—in fact, that's the first thing I'm gonna do."

"Uh, Lucas," Bridger said, scratching his chin.

"What?" the boy asked, puzzled.

"You're still grounded," he reminded him, "remember?"

"Ah c'mon!"

The End…for now.


End file.
